A normal, dreary winter is enough to send folks… especially those suffering from infertility… into a serious bout of the blues. And these back-to-back blizzards have been just another reason to climb into bed and hide under the covers. And sulk…justifiably.

Spring coaxes us out of hibernation with warmer air and the promise of new beginnings. Longer daylight hours brighten our moods and invite us back to nature through exercise or gardening. And even those who respectfully decline those invitations are generally less down as the weather warms up.

Now that the clocks have been changed and spring is supposedly on the way, it’s a good time to reassess and possibly recommit to your infertility treatment plan. To do some mental “spring cleaning”. To try to grasp hope if it has eluded you lately.

However, if you’re feeling really depressed, it may be more than the “winter blues”. According to the Mayo Clinic, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year, usually in the fall through winter months.*

If your depression is persistent or is interfering significantly in your daily life, you might consider group or individual counseling. Long Island IVF offers several therapy options, available to both existing patients and those who are not yet patients. For more information, see the Mind-Body section of our website:http://www.longislandivf.com/mind_body.cfm

So get outside and take a deep breath. Open the windows and let the stale winter blow away. The buds will be returning to the trees soon.

And maybe that stork will be coming over the horizon soon, too.

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Do you find the winter months to be more depressing? Can you share any tips for how you handle feeling blue? What works for you?